Government grants will be stopped for madrasas that teach religious education to non-Muslims or force them to attend worship practices contrary to their religion, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Tuesday, reported PTI.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader also said the state government would take legal action against such madrasas.
On August 16, the state’s school education department issued a notice enforcing a ban on educational institutes imparting religious teachings to students of faiths other than those prescribed by their respective religions.
Yadav said the move is compliant with Article 28(3) of the Constitution, which says: “No person attending any educational institution recognised by the State or receiving aid out of State funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution.”
Objecting to the directive, Congress MLA Arif Masood told IANS: “Our former President Rajendra Prasad, social reformer Ram Mohan Rai, writer Munshi Premchand have all studied from a madrasa. Why are they [BJP government] scared of madrasas? Why do they target minority-run institutions and education systems?”
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